Chapter 4

I remained with Mrs. Gerard and Damien for a week after that, healing from my soreness and helping them with tasks around the house and outside. It did not take as long as I would have thought to learn how to use their possessions; and very soon I found myself easily taking my duties in hand. I trimmed the lawn, washed the dishes, and prepared the food. Damien taught me a new pastime called 'basket ball', though I found it strange, since there was no basket; just a net and a large orange sphere.

Many times I found myself pestered by questions, which only seemed natural. But I always was careful, because I felt in my bones that Loki would come to me again. Never would I call that monster 'father'; that is what I frequently told myself. But for the entire week that I was there, he did not appear.

It was Saturday on the woman's calendar when I decided to leave. "Mom?" I asked the woman.

"Yes, Dawn. What is it?" she called, sliding pastries into the oven.

"I need to leave. I—don't know where I'll go, but I feel that I must."

"Oh, Dawn…" she murmured. "I'd just gotten to appreciate having you around! I need another female around the house; pull some weight with Damien, you know. He thinks of you as a sister! And…" she paused before continuing. "…you remind me of my first husband, before he left me. You very well could be…no." Mom wiped away a tear. "If you must go, then go. But tell Damien good-bye before you leave. Be careful, Dawn."

"I will," I replied softly, and walked down the hallway to Damien's room and knocked on his door. The music from inside stopped, and he opened the door. "I'm leaving," I told him brusquely.

"Wha—why now?"

"I need to. Good-bye." I was already dressed in my normal clothing, and my staff was in hand, so I left without another word. I walked for many miles in the woods, never stopping for anything. Birds sounded in the trees, and I saw much wildlife. It was beautiful here. I could stay for as long as I wanted, I supposed.

After a long while, I became ravenous and had to stop. A luckless squirrel chanced by me then, and I killed it. After starting a fire with my staff, I roasted the meat and ate quickly, and then searched for a clear stream nearby. Soon I found such, and was able to drink.

As I was bending over the stream, I looked at my reflection. Too much was it like Loki's, with my long, ebony hair and green eyes. Even the shape of my face appeared like his. Suddenly another face joined mine. Loki, again. But this time I was ready. This time, I had my staff.

At a speed like that of lightning, I whipped my staff around and hit him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. A whooshing sound came from him as the wind was pounded out of him. Then I put the head of my staff to his throat. "Loki, you will stop following me! I am not your daughter; I am not Thor's daughter; I am no one's daughter!" I screamed at him, infuriated. It was time that there came an end to this.

Loki had caught his breath by then. He started to laugh. I pressed the staff closer. "Stop laughing!" I said from within gritted teeth.

"It's inevitable, you know," he chuckled. "I am your father. Nothing could've stopped that. But I'll go—for now."

"Wait!" I said. "I want to know one thing. Who was my mother?" I growled.

"Her name was Linda Hartford when I married her. It was just after I came here. Then, when you were born, I took you and left. After all, right then she didn't have the funds to support a baby. Then she probably supposed I was dead or something, so she married Judd Gerard. They had a son, Damien."

I gasped, without meaning to. Mrs. Gerard was my mother? Damien my half-brother? No wonder the woman recognized me. I was her daughter.

"And of course, now that they've seen you, they'll probably have to die," Loki said sinisterly.

"No!" I yelled fiercely. "You will not touch a hair on their heads!" But just then, he disappeared. I have to warn them; get them to safety! I ran back the way I had come. What I would do; where I would send them, I didn't know. But they couldn't defend themselves against Loki. He was much too powerful.

I raced through the woods, when an abrupt growl made me stop short. I looked up to see two black panthers circling above. But panthers weren't around here, that's what Mrs. Gerard—Mother—had told me. Loki's tricks. One of the panthers swiped a paw at me. I jerked back, but pain slashed through my arm and three bloody claw marks emerged on my arm. Very real tricks.

I spun my staff, and the panthers snarled, backing away. But as soon as I stopped the spinning they leaped at me. I knocked one away and threw the end of the staff down through its head. Razor-sharp claws raked at my back, and I turned quickly around and killed the other one as well. It was almost too easy.

After making certain that the panthers were dead, I began to run again. By now, Loki could very well be there. I needed to run faster, but how was I to do that? My staff. I could gain more power from my staff.

Using the power in my staff, I had a burst of speed and was soon out of the forest. I came upon the house. Damien was in the walkway to their garage, playing basket-ball. "Damien!" I yelled. He looked up just as he was shooting, and the sphere in his hands dropped well away from the net.

"Dawn!"

"Damien, you need to get your mom and get out of here. Is there anywhere you can go?"

"My aunt's house, but…" he stuttered in confusion.

"Just get out of here as soon as possible. There's someone coming who will try to kill you. Get your mom and get out of here!" I shouted at my brother. (That still was shocking me whenever I thought about it.) "Get out!"

"Okay!" Damien ran into the house and came out with his mom. They got into the 'car', as it was called, and went away quickly. The rubber things on the bottom squealed as they went onto the road.

I sat down in front of the house. And waited. Waited for my frost giant father, who was certain to kill me.

Strange how destiny works.